This invention relates to an apparatus suitable for the continuous light curing of an elongated string-like linear product.
In the process of applying a coating substance such as adhesive onto a continuous linear string-like product such as a thread or wire, it has been necessary to utilize a rather complex curing process. After the adhesive substance has been applied onto the string-like material, the sticky adhesive substance must be cured in a elongated heat chamber in order to effect the bonding between the two materials. The process is relatively time consuming and messy to carry out and it poses a considerable loss in the valuable production time. Furthermore, in some instances the heat curing process may even, in some instances, cause some inherent damage to the string-like material.
Light curable resins are effective adhesive substances which can be cured with ultraviolet light in a relatively short instant. These resins contain light reactive photoinitiators which interact directly with the intense ultraviolet light energy to induce its polymerization. However, due to the continuousness of the string-like material it has been problematic to apply the resin onto the string-like material and to cure it with the ultraviolet light.